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We all, in our own way, strive for success. We may all have different parameters for success, but that doesn’t prevent us from striving for it. Some will stop short of nothing but total domination of the business world, others will simply be happy to be the very best that they can be in their job with no real ambition to ascend the career ladder. Some of us define our success by our health and fitness goals and the extent to which we’re able to push our bodies beyond what we think are the limits of their capabilities. Yet more of us consider our ability to learn and educate ourselves the true measure of success. For some, there is no greater form of success than being a great parent and raising healthy, happy, well-behaved children, while for others success means nothing short of fame and fortune.
However you define success is up to you. Success is (or at least should be) a very personal thing. However, while you may have a clear idea of what success means to you, you may not understand the part that your home decor can play in your success. Whatever your parameters for success may be and wherever you seek it, your home can help you down your chosen path… Or it can hobble your progress. Here are some ways in which your home could be keeping you from success and what you can do about it.
It’s preventing you from concentrating
In an era where more and more businesses recognize the benefits of allowing their employees to work remotely, many of us find ourselves working from home. In this instance, how we maintain our home is intrinsically linked to our productivity and wellbeing. If we don’t segregate a part of the home in which to work and dedicate our thoughts to our work, our productivity can be seriously undermined. This is why it’s so vitally important to have a dedicated space (a home office if possible but even part of a room can work just fine) in which to get your thoughts into “work mode”. This can help you to concentrate on the task at hand while also preventing your work from encroaching on your home life. Quite simply, nobody ever did their best work on the sofa in their PJs. Your decor for your home office should be markedly different for the rest of your home, as minimalistic as possible and with access to natural light (largely believed to be the world’s greatest office perk). It’s so easy to get cheap plants for your home
Your home can also impede your concentration (whether you work from home or not) when you allow clutter to take control. In an era where shopping has become our favorite pastime, the possessions that we treasure at first quickly become clutter in just a few weeks.
Clutter is the enemy of concentration and can prove anathema to your mental health when it is allowed to take over the home. This can prove problematic when working from home but it can also prove detrimental to your well being in another way…
It’s making you stressed
Clutter is one of many ways in which your home can make you stressed. It is visually distracting, prevents you from being able to concentrate in work or in leisure time and prevents you from feeling at home when you’re… at home. Studies have determined a clear link between clutter and stress, which is why the first step to success should be to find a home for all of your clutter (even if that home is eBay).
There are also other, more subtle, ways in which your home can add to your stress and impede your success. Even little things like mismatching colors and textures, an overabundance of the synthetic over the natural or a lack of flow can all make a small but lasting impact on your stress levels that slowly builds up over time. You know something feels “off” but you never quite know what.
Identify and fix the little things which could be stressing you out and add the infrastructure necessary to fix them, whether this is maintaining a clean, tidy and clutter-free home or simply adding an essential oil diffuser to ease your stress through aromatherapy.
It’s wasting your time
Don’t you hate it when you spend 20 minutes rooting through your kitchen cabinets to find a cheese grater? Or turning your desk drawers inside out trying to track down that errant gas bill? It’s frustrating, irritating and a waste of your time. But the good news is that you’re not powerless to prevent it.
Inefficient storage solutions can lead to a lot of wasted time which in turn can impinge on your goals. How often has a lack of time prevented you from giving 100% at work, in business, in fitness or in parenting? Invest in better storage solutions that allow you quicker access to the things you need and you’ll find that not only are you able to cut down on clutter, you’ll shave a few minutes off every day resulting in more free time in which to excel.
It’s wasting your money
Your home can also keep you from financial success by eating away at your disposal income. How many times have you done a double take at your energy bill, checked your usage and asked “how could I possibly be burning through this much energy?”. It’s a position we’ve all found ourselves in but it can be avoided.
Installing energy saving CFL bulbs throughout the home, investing in better windows, checking the state of your attic insulation and installing a smart meter to track your usage are all great ways of clawing back the money that’s so often wasted on energy bills.
It’s making you depressed
We all get down in the dumps from time to time. The pressures of work, family and of course money can get the better of even the most determined of us. Nonetheless, while your home should be a haven of mental health, sometimes it can create more problems than it solves. Make sure that you always have access to plenty of natural light. Keep your home as clean and tidy as your schedule will allow. Try and limit time spent on your phone and other devices and use essential oils to make your home feel calm, serene and cosy. Sandalwood, jasmine, lavender, chamomile and rose oils are all great for helping maintain a cheery and positive atmosphere in the home.
Don’t let your decor keep you from success a day longer. Especially when the fix is usually quick, easy and affordable!
